Ninth ward debris, New Orleans / photo Kathie Cranford

The third view shows that little has been touchedbecause there was nothing to save, sort, or gut. Amazingly, it is all still there four months after the storm. Through the breach sailed this enormous barge which now lies on the land side of the canal, having come to rest on the school bus and in someone's front yard. The floodwall can be seen in the background to the right of the bus; it's intact here; the breach is a way down. We have dozens more pictures of tsunami-likedestruction. I never thought I'd see such sights in my life. We have been told and have found for ourselves that scores of photos just cannot tell the story. Being there in person and surveying the scene in 360 degrees really brings it home to you. We took Alexandra and Sumanth and Shamin, in Slidell for their Christmas visits, to see the scenes the next day, and they too were in awe of the sights. The worst part of the city is no more than a five-minute ride from the untouched Quarter, where we ended our tour on a high note.